


Second Chances: A Christmas Tale

by Missfoodie2shoes



Category: A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Turned Into a Ghost, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Morning, Gen, Ghosts, Harry Potter References, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, POV Severus Snape, Young Severus Snape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-10 19:42:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8934622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missfoodie2shoes/pseuds/Missfoodie2shoes
Summary: This is my take on the classic Charles Dickens short story, A Christmas Carol.  I know there are many other Harry Potter versions of it, but the ones I found were mostly parodies or comedies, and I wanted to take a more serious look at the story.  I really enjoyed writing this, and any feedback, good or bad, is welcome. I wrote this many years before, after Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince came out, but before Deathly Hallows came out, so this would not be considered canon beyond HBP. I feel it still holds up well over the years, though, and thought I would share it with you all. Since this is the first Christmas since Alan Rickman passed away, I am dedicating this story to his memory. I will post once chapter a day, so this story will finish posting on Christmas Eve day. Happy reading and Happy holidays!





	1. Chapter One

Severus Snape was a bitter, cold man of sixty years. Upon returning from the war of long ago a victor, showered in rewards and praise, he’d promptly quit his job at Hogwarts and opened up a small apothecary shop in Hogsmeade. He tried his best to never show any outward signs of happiness-not a difficult feat for him-and had taken to hoarding his newly-found fortune in a vault at Gringotts, for which it could be said that once a single knut of his entered the doors, it never saw the light of day again.

The apothecary shop was a small, cramped place, with shelves of dried ingredients, bottles of pickled things, and vials of coloured liquids. It was a dark, dismal place, not at all conducive to brightening one’s attitude towards life and all it had to offer. The shop seemed to have the ability to drain energy from a person when he entered through the door. Upon leaving, he would find his energy returned, as it had been minutes previously. Because of this, people never tended to stay in the shop for any longer than was absolutely necessary, which was just as Snape preferred it.

Snape had one employee he kept for his knowledge of herb lore, as well as his ability to deflect the customers from him. Neville Longbottom, a former pupil, spent long days in the shop, where he was subject to the continual torment and abuse of his employer. Neville was used to such torment from him, though, and didn’t take too much notice of it.

What Neville couldn’t help taking notice, of, was how cold the shop was in the winter months. Snape said that the quality of his inventory would deteriorate in the heat, and wouldn’t allow him to light a fire to stay warm. Because of this, Neville’s teeth would chatter loudly, and he would rub his hands together to warm himself up. This is exactly what he was doing when this story begins...

 

It was December the twenty-fourth, otherwise commonly known as Christmas Eve Day, and it was business as usual at Snape’s apothecary shop. No signs of the holiday could be seen inside, except for a few sprigs of mistletoe that were being prepared for use in a potion.

All around Hogsmeade, storefronts were decked out with jolly-looking decorations, like holly wreaths, twinkling stars, heavily decorated trees, and large floating crystal baubles. Blythe’s Toy Shoppe featured a life-sized ballerina dancing with an equally large nutcracker. Chess sets battled against one another in the frosted window front. Walking and talking dolls brushed each other’s hair and had tea parties while the small inhabitants of a doll house sat down to breakfast. By the day’s end, most of them would be wrapped up and snuggly placed under Christmas trees, where they’d eagerly await being opened the next morning.

It was a glorious time in Hogsmeade. Carolers stood on each corner singing songs for all to hear. Children played on their sleds, and flew, screaming and shrieking down the hills. A few young lovers traveled up and down the streets in sleighs, waving to the people on the streets. Others stood around small fires, drinking eggnog or apple cider, and roasting chestnuts, all the while wishing each other a Happy Christmas.

Neville was enjoying looking at the happy scenes outside from behind the counter as he stamped his feet and rubbed his hands to stay warm. Snape was busy stocking the shelves, and didn’t notice any of the goings-on outside. When he turned around, Neville smiled at him and pointed to the window. “Looks like it’s going to be a good Christmas this year, doesn’t it?” he asked timidly. Snape frowned and sniffed. “Just another excuse to be lazy, if you ask me. All this Christmas business is foolish nonsense,” he growled. Neville’s smile faded as he watched Snape take out his wand and flick it in the direction of the windows, causing the shades to fall down noisily. “No more staring out of windows,” Snape sneered. “I don’t pay you generously to stand about and gaze out of windows all day.” Neville frowned, nodded his head, and quickly picked up a rag to start dusting the shelves and counters. After an hour or so had passed in frosty silence, the door to the shop flew open with a loud bang. Both men turned to see who was there.

Draco Malfoy walked inside the shop, carrying a rather large green pine Christmas wreath swathed in a festive deep green and silver-lined ribbon. “Merry Christmas, Severus!” he cried happily while setting the wreath down on the counter. “And a Merry Christmas to you too, Longbottom,” he added before pointing to the wreath. “Why don’t you go put this on the door?”

Neville smiled and ventured a rebellious glance at Snape before grabbing the wreath and hurrying towards the door. “I don’t pay you generously to hang decorations, Longbottom!” Snape called out while Draco walked up to him.

“Oh, relax, Severus, it’s Christmas! It only comes but once a year,” Draco admonished.

“Rather that it never came at all,” Snape retorted with a deep frown.

“You don’t really mean that do you?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you think I know my own mind? Christmas is just an excuse to lay about for a day, overeating, and giving frivolous trinkets to one another. If it were up to me, I’d call off Christmas altogether,” he replied emphatically.

“I don’t think it’s really as bad as all that,” Draco retorted with a grin.

“I hardly think it a good thing. Now, please, I am a very busy man, and I haven’t the time to stand around chattering on so.” With that, Snape walked back to a shelf and picked up his inventory list again.

“Oh, come Severus, I only came to invite you up to the school for Christmas dinner tomorrow,” Draco said. “Please say you’ll come this year.”

Snape frowned. “You ask me each year, and each year I say no; why don’t you stop trying already?” he replied coldly.

“Because each year I have new hope that you’ll say yes,” Draco replied. “It’s such a wonderful place to be on Christmas, and you’re the closest thing I have to family left in the world. Please, Severus-godfather-say yes this year.”

“I have my reasons for not celebrating Christmas. Do not pester me any longer,” Snape said, hoping that would put an end to the conversation.

“I know your reasons, and they’re all the more reason why you should celebrate with me,” Draco said. “We’re all we have left now.”

By now, Neville had returned, with a smile upon his face. Snape saw him listening intently on their conversation, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “This conversation is now over, Draco. Please leave me in peace.”

Draco shook his head sadly and turned to leave. “Merry Christmas, Longbottom,” he said pointedly.

“Merry Christmas, Professor Malfoy,” Neville replied quietly.

“And a very Merry Christmas to you too, Severus!” Draco cried.

“Goodbye, Draco,” Snape said coolly.

“And a very Happy New Year to you too.”

“Good _bye_ , Draco,” Snape growled warningly.

“Shall I tell the house elves to set a place for you tomorrow, then?”

“ _Goodbye_ , Draco.”

“I’ll have them set a place, you know, just in case.”

Snape was no longer paying attention to him; he’d begun noisily chopping the stems of the mistletoe into tiny pieces. With a sigh and a shrug, Draco turned and finally left the shop.

Things slowly settled down after that. Neville helped a few customers before leaving for his lunch hour. Snape generously allotted him forty-five minutes a day to return home to lunch.

Snape was himself eating a sandwich for lunch, when the shop door opened again. Two men in simple brown robes walked into the shop and closed the door. One of the men carried a box in his hands.

“Good afternoon, sir,” the empty-handed gentleman, called out. “How are you on this glorious day?” Snape sniffed, and didn’t reply. “Well, then…let me introduce myself,” the man continued. “I am Bishop, and this is Ives, and we are volunteering our time for the Werewolf Support Association. Each year we try to collect money to help the families of werewolves throughout Britain. Because of the strict laws, werewolves find it difficult to support their families all year long, but it is especially hard at Christmas. There are the children to think of, after all. So we just came up from London, and are going to be canvassing the Hogsmeade area this afternoon. How much would you care to donate?” Bishop asked, stopping to take a breath while Ives held out the box and looked expectantly at Snape.

Snape’s eyes had narrowed to murderous slits during Bishop’s speech, and his lip curled with disgust. “Why should I support them? Has Azkaban suddenly filled up? Or St. Mungos? If they need so much support, then they’re clearly not making any sort of worthy contribution to society. Why should we be stuck caring for them? Better to have an end to them all and be done with it. We’d all be better off…” he continued while marching to the door and opening it. “Now, if you please, leave before I lose my temper.”

Ives frowned and clutched his box. “But…but…It’s Christmas, Mr. Snape,” he sputtered.

“A pox on Christmas! And on you! Now go!” Snape roared.

The men were scurrying as quickly out the door as possible when Neville returned from lunch. “What was that all about?” he asked cautiously.

“Beggers,” Snape spat bitterly.

“I see,” Neville replied while shutting the door and returning to the counter.

The rest of the day went smoothly, until a couple hours before closing time. The shop door opened again, and in walked three small children, wearing thick winter robes to stay warm and broad smiles on their faces. They clasped their hands together, and began to sing:

_We wish you a Merry Christmas_

_We wish you a Merry Christmas_

_We wish you a Merry Christmas_

_And a Happy New Year!_

When the children had finished their song, they turned and looked eagerly at Snape. Snape looked rather frightening as he scowled and marched over towards them. Before he could do anything, though, Neville intervened. He handed each child a peppermint imp from his pocket before quickly dispatching them from the shop. “All right, thank you, Happy Christmas,” he said hurriedly as the kids skipped out of the door.

Snape managed to avoid any more annoying people for the rest of the day. When it was time to close shop, he saw Neville standing next to the counter, twisting his hands nervously. “Oh, I suppose you want tomorrow off,” Snape snapped.

“If it’s not a problem, I would like to spend the day with my family,” Neville replied.

“And I suppose you expect to be paid even though you won’t be doing any work?” Snape continued.

“Well…it is customary…” Neville murmured.

Snape folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently for a moment. “Oh, fine, since I can tell that you won’t take no for an answer, I suppose I’ll have to,” he growled. “Honestly, what I go through for you. And the wages I pay you too. You’ll do well to show up extra early the next day, and that’s that.”

Neville smiled, his eyes shining. “Oh, thank you, Snape, thank you very much. Merry Chr- er um…I’ll see you on Boxing Day then,” he stammered before leaving the shop and returning to his home. Snape locked the door to his shop, and promptly disapparated to Spinner’s End.

Snape had never bothered to move into a better house after the war had ended. It had been large enough to suit his needs, yet small enough to maintain, and he’d never seen the sense of changing that. He knew every nook and cranny of that house, and I say house, not home, for it had never been a home in any sense of the word, it was merely the place he inhabited.

He had apparated into the front room, and was in the middle of hanging up his robes, when he noticed something on his arm. The tattoo he’d had in a former life had long since faded since its power source had been vanquished, so you can imagine his utter shock to see a shape there again. And not just any shape, but the shape of his long-dead former partner in crime, Lucius Malfoy. Snape blinked a few times and shook his arm, in hopes of dislodging the image, but it didn’t work. The face of Lucius stared blankly up at him, blinking every few seconds. Snape closed his eyes for almost a full minute, and when he reopened them, he breathed a sigh of relief, for the image had disappeared from his arm. He shook his head, and walked off to prepare a bowl of stew for his supper.

After a hastily eaten bowl of mutton stew, Snape retreated to his bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished and bitterly cold, for he never lit a fire to stay warm. He lit a candle and set it on the nightstand, and after changing into an old, dingy gray nightgown, he slid under the covers of his bed. He had just begun to read his newest potion book, when the doorknob to his closed bedroom door began to rattle loudly. He looked up, hoping the house hadn’t recently become the living quarters to a pesky poltergeist, but the rattling stopped as soon as he’d put his book down.

He returned to his reading, but a minute later, the shutters to his bedroom window flew open, and his candle flickered out. He snarled angrily while reaching for his wand, and shutting the windows once again. Before he had a chance to relight his candle, he noticed an odd silverish glow at the foot of his bed. The place on his arm that had once sported his Mark began to throb with pain, the pain he hadn’t felt for many years now.

Snape clasped his arm and looked on with silent horror as the silver light began to take shape. Before he knew it, Lucius Malfoy, or the ghost of Lucius Malfoy, floated before him. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t keep the sharp intake of breath from being audible in the otherwise silent room.

Lucius looked nothing in death as he had in life. His once-long silvery mane of hair now hung limply down around his shoulders and back. He was thin, gaunt, and ashen. His clothes hung in tatters, and a thick iron chain was twisted all about his body. Snape cringed as he saw the ghosts of other people attached to several chinks of the chain. Every once in a while, one of them would moan and pull on it, throwing Lucius off balance.

“Lucius…what are you doing here?” Snape finally croaked, his eyes wide with shock.

“I have been allowed to return only this one night,” Lucius replied, looking anguished that he could only stay so shortly. “I have come to give you a warning, my old friend, in the hopes that you won’t end up like me.”

“What are you talking about?” Snape asked with a frown. “Even now I can see a chain such as mine forming around you,” Lucius replied, pointing.

Snape looked down and saw a thick iron chain beginning to ensnare him. He gasped again and tried to bat at the chain, but his hands passed right through it.

“Severus, there is still time to make a change in your life for the better,” Lucius said.

“What sort of change?”

“A change of heart, my friend. Something I never had a chance to do in my former life, but am tormented with every moment of this next one. Every second I sit on the edge of Paradise, looking in yet never able to enter. The sins of my past now weigh me down, and I cannot go any further. These chains, Severus, are made of my sins-my hatred and anger, and the lives I took. I can never get away from it. But you still can. You must learn to turn away from your anger and hate. You must learn to care.”

“Lucius, there is nothing wrong with my life now,” Snape replied.

“You don’t think so now, but you will see, one day, when it’s too late, you will see,” Lucius said as one of the other ghosts grabbed at his shirt and tore the corner off. “I have made arrangements, Severus, to help you. You will be visited by three other ghosts. The first will come tonight at one o’clock and the other two each subsequent night at the same time. Perhaps, with their help, you can see where to make the changes you need in your life. I wish you luck, Severus.” With that, Lucius walked slowly, the extra ghosts weighing him down, to the window, opened it, and jumped out.

Severus hurried out of the bed, noticing that the chains around him had disappeared. When he looked out the window, there was no sign of Lucius; there was only a thick, swirling fog enveloping the house. He quickly shut the window and closed the curtains in hopes of shutting out the fog. For some inexplicable reason, it made his heart pound harder than anything he’d witnessed that evening.

After checking that his bedroom door was still locked, he returned to bed, and in spite of all that had occurred, he was overcome with fatigue, and immediately fell asleep.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of three ghosts visits Snape. Who is it and what are they here for?

Snape woke up several hours later, and looked at the clock on his night stand. Twelve fifty nine, it read. His heart lurched at the sudden memory of what had taken place earlier that evening. Was Lucius being earnest when he had told him of his plans? Perhaps he had merely been tormenting him, something he had enjoyed very much while alive. Snape wouldn’t put it past him to arrange some sort of elaborate hoax just to annoy him. He glanced at the clock as it turned to one, and he couldn’t stop his heart from pounding.

This was the hour the first ghost was to appear. He began to look around his room, trying to see anything out of the ordinary. Nothing seemed out of place, and there was nothing new or missing from the room. With a sniff, he settled back into bed, convinced that the mutton stew he’d eaten for dinner had turned, and that was why he’d had such a vivid dream. Nothing was going to happen to him.

He’d just drifted back to sleep when a loud thump startled him. He sat up in bed to see a tall figure standing before him. His mouth opened to speak, but he was rendered speechless by who he saw. Albus Dumbledore stood next to him, smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling joyfully. He looked younger than Snape had ever remembered him to be. There were no longer wrinkles on his face, and his hair and beard were not as long anymore. Light seemed to radiate from every point and angle of him as well, causing Snape’s eyes to well up with tears as they adjusted to it.

“Severus, how are you?” Albus’s ghost asked. “You’re looking well.”

Snape sat up in his bed again, and looked at him, his eyes having adjusted to the brightness. “I am well,” he croaked, unsure of what else to say.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Albus replied, “because we have a journey to embark upon, and it will require a lot of stamina. Are you ready then? Shall we go?”

“I’m not dressed,” Snape replied, not moving a muscle.

“That’s all right, you don’t need to be where we’re going,” Albus replied. “Come now, up you get.”

Snape sighed resignedly, and slowly got out of bed. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to get out of doing whatever it is we’ll be doing?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Albus shook his head, and laughed. “My dear Severus, I promise that it won’t be too horrible,” he assured him while holding out his hand. “You will need to hold on in order to come with me. Otherwise you might fall.”

Snape balked at this, but Albus shrugged his shoulders. “You will be fine as long as you hold on.” Snape looked warily at Albus as he grabbed onto his arm. Together, they walked towards the window, which opened of its own accord. “All right then, now, just think happy thoughts,” Albus continued with a wink.

Snape frowned. “What?” he asked.

Albus chuckled lightly. “Never mind,” he replied with a wave of his hand. They stepped up to the edge of the window, and jumped off.

Snape thought he would plummet to his doom, but found himself flying alongside Albus, over the fog that had enveloped his house. “Where are you going?” he called out.

“You will see,” Albus replied as he steered them in a southerly direction.

Snape took the time to watch as they passed over houses, villages, and larger cities, as well as pastoral scenes. Even though it was a freezing cold night, he couldn’t feel it. The light that Albus radiated seemed to be keeping him warm as well.

Finally, Albus steered them back to the ground. They were in front of a house that Snape recognized, but hadn’t seen in almost forty years. “This is my old house,” he said in little more than a whisper. Before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by a boy who ran past him.

The boy had chin-length black hair, and appeared to be six or seven years of age. He was dressed in thick winter robes, and held a small red sled in his hands. As he climbed to the top of a nearby hill, he turned and waved. “Look mum! Watch me!” he cried while placing the sled on the snow and sitting on it. He pushed himself along for a couple of feet before gaining speed and flying down the hill. He screamed with glee the entire time. When he reached the foot of the hill, he ran to the porch and gave his mother a hug. “I wish father would spend every Christmas on a business trip!” he said. “This is the best Christmas ever!” With that, he ran off to continue sledding.

Snape stood in utter silence as he watched the scene unfold. “What is this?” he finally demanded. “We didn’t enter into a pensieve. Where is this coming from?”

Albus was quiet for a moment before responding. “Then I take it you know who that is?” he asked.

“Of course I do, it’s me,” Snape spat angrily, folding his arms. “What the devil is going on here?”

“I was brought to show you memories of your past, Severus. More specifically, of Christmases past.”

“How dare you intrude upon my past? I never said you could,” Snape snarled. As angry as he was, he couldn’t help but look at his younger self as he sled down the hill. He had a haunted look on his face as he watched. Had he really ever been that young and carefree? The memory grew stronger as he watched. He felt the rush of cold air upon his face, and the wind flying through his hair. The thrill of speeding down the hill incited in him glorious joyful feelings. The pure joy of being a child and loving nothing more in life than a sled ride down a hill. He heard his younger self laughing, and felt his own face break out into a smile. He turned and began to walk towards the child. He knew he wasn’t going to be seen, for he had no memory of seeing two men at the house on that snowy night.

Snape looked at Albus, who had followed him. Before he could say anything, Albus spoke. “Yes, Severus, you were that young once,” he said with a chuckle. “And look at what fun you’re having.”

Severus nodded his head. “I played on that sled until I fell asleep on top of it,” he murmured. “My mother must have come to get me at some point in time.” His father had stayed in Paris on a business trip. Severus had the best Christmas of his childhood that year, with just him and his mother in the house.

Albus smiled sadly and held out his arm. “Come Severus, it is time to move on now,” he said quietly. Snape didn’t take his arm for a full minute, for he was so engrossed by what he was witnessing. Finally, though, he put his hand on Albus’s arm, and they flew off into the air again.

This time they traveled north. Far north, where the sky was thick with snow, and blew about in flurries around them. When they landed, they were at a very familiar place for both of them. “I know you haven’t set foot in here since the war ended, but do humour me, Severus,” Albus said as they walked up the stairs to Hogwarts. Snape took a deep breath, but followed.

Once inside, they turned to the right and went into the Great Hall. It was Christmas again, for all the usual festive holiday decorations were up, and a small table of professors and students sat around eating a rather large Christmas meal.

Snape saw himself, as a third year student, at the table, eating a gingersnap and talking to a red-haired girl who sat next to him, who was dunking a biscuit of her own in a glass of milk. Severus felt his heart skip a beat to see Lily again, so young, innocent…and alive. She had been the only girl he’d ever loved, and as he looked at the scene from a different perspective, though he couldn’t tell then, he could see now that she clearly felt the same.

Snape smiled as his younger self pulled a Christmas cracker with her. Lily took the tricornered naval captain’s hat and set it on his head. They laughed as she read the jokes from the slip of paper.

“Apples and oranges,” Snape murmured with a sad shake of his head.

“What was that?” Albus asked.

“Apples and oranges,” Snape repeated. “That was the punch line of the joke she was telling.”

Albus didn’t say anything, but allowed Snape a chance to watch the memory uninterrupted. The meal continued, with the laughter growing and the merry-making increasing. After the last biscuit had been eaten, one of the professors cleared away the table and chairs, and music began to emanate from all around them.

The younger Snape tried to disappear into a corner, but Lily wouldn’t let him. She grabbed his hand and led him out onto the dance floor. He turned beet red while she slipped her hands in his and began to dance. “Come on, Severus, don’t be such a stick in the mud!” she cried. Snape looked around, and seeing that nobody was paying any attention to them, he slowly started shuffling his feet to the music.

The older Snape cringed and turned away. “I can’t watch that, it’s too horrible,” he sighed. “I think I stepped on her toes at least four times that night.”

Albus craned his neck to keep watching the younger couple as they danced. “Looks like five times, actually,” he replied. “Well, it seems as though the party is over,” he continued as the music stopped and the students began to leave the Great Hall. “This is a good time for our last stop.”

Snape watched as Lily held his hand. She led him out the door, leaned up towards him, and kissed his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Severus,” she said while letting go of his hand and walking towards the stairs.

“Merry Christmas, Lily,” both of the Severus’s replied.

Albus walked after them as they left the Hall, Severus followed behind. When they emerged from the doorway, they’d entered into another memory.

This time, he was a fifth year student. He was standing at the foot of the stairs, watching the front door. It opened, and Lily entered the school. “Severus, Happy Christmas!” she cried while walking up to him.

Snape watched with a look of horror as he relived the memory. “No, not this one,” he whispered.

“Lily,” his younger self replied, holding his arm out to stop her from approaching him too closely. “I received your owl saying you were returning from your family’s house early. I trust you enjoyed your holiday?” he said formally.

Lily stepped back and frowned. “Yes, I had a great time,” she replied. “What’s the matter?”

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my future,” he said stiffly. “OWLs are approaching this spring, and I’ve been corresponding with Lucius Malfoy over the past couple of months. He says he’ll be able to get me a job with him once I leave school.”

Lily narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Lucius Malfoy?” she said quietly. “Severus, he’s bad news, you know that. What are you doing talking with him?”

“He’s good for my future. He’s going to get me a job. He’s going places,” Snape replied.

Lily took another step back from him. “I…I…you know how I feel about those people,” she whispered.

“They’re the future of our world, Lily.”

“They’ll be the end of it, you mark my words, Severus Snape.” She began to walk up the staircase, away from him. Halfway up the stairs, she stopped and turned to look down at him. “I have always valued our friendship,” she said while tears welled up in her eyes. “But I will not be a part of your life if you’re going to let them suck you into their fight. If you join up with them, this is the end of our friendship. The choice is yours.”

Snape looked up at Lily and shook his head. “I have made my choice,” he said coldly. “Goodbye, Lily.” Without saying another word, he turned and walked down the stairs to the dungeons.

The older Snape watched as Lily burst into tears and ran up the stairs towards Gryffindor tower. His face was red as he took the memory in.

“How could you show me this, Albus?” he snarled at the older man. “What were you thinking? This was the worst moment, and you dredged it up again. What is wrong with you?” He was angry at the emotions the memories had reopened. He’d spent a lifetime trying to bury the pain, and in the course of an hour or so, all his efforts had been completely undone. “No more!” he growled while turning away from the scene. “Take me back, right now.”

He whirled around to glare at Albus, and was startled by what he saw. The older man no longer looked as old as he had. His once-white hair and beard were now a brilliant red, and his skin was completely free of any wrinkles. “What’s going on?” Snape demanded.

“I grow younger as the time passes,” Albus explained. “Much like a memory fades in time, so do I.” Even then he was growing younger. His facial hair shortened, and he seemed to grow shorter, until he stood before Snape as a child. “Don’t worry, Severus,” he continued in his unbroken voice. “I may fade away, but I will never truly be gone.” With that, he changed again, into an infant.

Snape stepped forward and picked him up, looking into the baby’s face. Albus gave one anguished cry, and blinked out of existence in a flood of the bright light that had enveloped him. Snape was now inside the light, but it didn’t hurt his eyes or burn him to be there. It was very peaceful there, and he didn’t want to leave, but the next thing he knew, the light was fading around him, and he was back in his house in Spinners End.

He staggered over to the bed, reeling from his experiences. He had hoped to never see those images again. It felt as though he had a gaping mortal wound that was threatening to overtake him, but before he had a chance to do anything about it, a powerful fatigue came upon him, and he fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second ghost makes an appearance.

When Snape woke up, he felt completely refreshed, but still emotionally raw from the time he’d spent with Albus. He rolled over in his bed to look at the clock. One o’clock, it read. How had he managed to sleep almost twenty four hours? He sat up in bed to wait for the next ghost, who was due. He just wanted to get it all over with and return to his normal life again.

Almost ten minutes passed with no ghost arriving. Maybe it had forgotten? Maybe he’d misunderstood Lucius and it was all over now. He was rather uncertain of anything at the moment.

As Snape continued looking around the room, he thought he could see a golden glowing light coming through the bottom of the door. Perhaps the ghost was on the other side. With a deep sigh of resignation, he stood up and walked over to the door. The knob felt warm to the touch as he turned it. When he walked down the hallway and into the next room, he was stunned and horrified at what he saw.

Sirius Black sat on Snape’s kitchen table. He was wearing a red velvet garment lined with white fur that draped from one shoulder down across to the opposite hip, giving him the very air and look of a younger Father Christmas, had he originated from Ancient Rome. He was surrounded by piles of food. Every food a person could possibly want seemed to fill every nook and cranny of the room.

Platters of whole turkey and goose were on the table next to Sirius, as well as a crown roast of pork, a steaming rack of lamb, and an entire saddle of venison. The smells blended together in a most delicious combination. Mounds of fluffy white mashed potatoes smothered in gravy were piled in bowls next to the meat. On the kitchen counter were stacks of fruits and vegetables of all sorts. And on Sirius’s lap was a cheese platter, with a very large wedge of Roquefort perched in the middle, surrounded by crackers and grapes.

Sirius took a huge mouthful of cheese and grinned. “Took you long enough,” he said through a full mouth.

Snape shook his head. “No, absolutely not,” he snapped angrily. “This is not going to be happening.”

Sirius stood up and set the cheese tray down. “You don’t have a choice in this. I was the one who volunteered for this, and so here I am, and that’s all there is to it,” he replied with a shrug.

“What sort of cruel trick is this?” Snape growled.

“It’s not a trick at all,” Sirius assured him. “What’s happening is all real, and you’re really experiencing it. Look, I know you don’t like being out of control, I get that, I really do, but you just have to put your trust in us for now. You’ll see by the end that it was all worth it.”

Snape was silent as he tried to control his emotions. Of all the people to send back to him, Sirius Black? He was the last person Snape ever wanted to see again. “Who is doing this to me?” he finally asked.

Sirius grinned. “Well now, that is an interesting question. There’s definitely magic involved. An old, ancient magic; the sort of magic that existed before the world began. That’s where I’ve been all these years. Just being, in all that magic. It’s brilliant,” he replied cryptically.

“So you’re saying there’s a greater power involved somehow?” Snape asked.

“Well, it would really be quite weird if all this was just happening on its own some how, don’t you think?” Sirius said.

Snape was quiet as he considered this. “Point taken,” he finally conceded.

“Now then, shall we be off? We have a lot to do today,” Sirius said while stuffing an orange and an entire turkey drumstick into his robe pocket.

Snape frowned and rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get this over with,” he said tersely. Together, they walked to the front door of the house, and out onto the porch.

“Just hold onto the edge of my robe,” Sirius instructed. After Snape grabbed onto the silver lining, they jumped off the ground, and took off into the air.

They didn’t have to fly too long before landing in Hogsmeade. It was daytime now, somehow, and the streets were dotted with happy folks hurrying off to visit their friends and families. Most of them carried large armfuls of gifts that were wrapped in festive-coloured paper. From somewhere, Severus couldn’t tell where, there was the sound of somebody singing beautifully:

_I saw three ships come sailing in_

_On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;_

_I saw three ships come sailing in_

_On Christmas Day in the morning._

“What a beautiful day,” Sirius said with a grin, taking a deep breath. “It almost makes me wish I was still alive to enjoy it properly.” When Snape looked at him curiously, he waved his hands nonchalantly. “It’s OK, we’re having our own celebration later on.” With that, he walked off towards a house at the edge of town.

It was a small, two-level blue house with crimson trim and a matching front door. A lazy wisp of smoke floated out of the chimney into the sky. Sirius walked to a frost-laced window, and peered inside.

Three young children ran around the front room, chasing one another around the Christmas tree. An older gentleman sat on a chair, laughing at them and clapping his hands. Every once in a while, one of the kids would run over to him and throw their arms around him, or kiss his cheek. “I love you, grandfather,” the youngest child, a red-headed girl who was no more than five years old, cried cheerfully.

The older man seemed to have something not quite right about him. He moved with difficulty, and his ability to speak was greatly impaired. “Love you,” he said slowly. “Happy day.”

“Who are these people?” Snape asked as he looked at the scene.

“You don’t recognize that man? You should,” Sirius replied. “You really don’t know whose house this is? You’ve been working with him for what, ten years now? And you still don’t know what his father or kids look like? Some employer you are,” he scoffed.

Snape’s eyes widened as he realized who he was looking at. Frank Longbottom…no wonder his speech was so muddled. Snape knew Neville had taken both his parents out of St. Mungo’s years ago, and kept them in his house, but he’d never made an effort to see them. He didn’t need that reminder of his past sins.

Frank was watching his grandchildren play, when he glanced up and looked at the front window. He smiled and waved at Sirius and Snape. Snape gasped and moved out of view. “I thought we couldn’t be seen,” he hissed.

Sirius grinned and waved at Frank in return. “We can’t, not by ordinary folks, anyway,” he replied. “People like Frank, well, while some parts of his head have shut down, others have opened up. He can see things that you can’t. That makes him rather special, don’t you think?”

Snape didn’t respond, but moved back to peer in the window. Frank had stood up, and was walking towards the front door. They watched as he opened the door, and set two small mandarin oranges on the porch before shutting the door and returning to his chair.

Before Sirius could get the oranges, Neville and an older woman, who was no doubt his mother Alice, walked through the gate and up the walkway to the porch. Neville noticed the oranges and smiled. “Dad must have seen us coming,” he said with a chuckle while stooping to pick up the fruit.

When they were inside, Neville’s wife, Ginny, came to kiss him in greeting. “How was your walk with Alice?” she asked while hanging up his robes.

“Wonderful,” Neville replied. “Mum and I walked all through town, and even stopped up at the school to say hello to the kids. You know how much she likes to be around children.”

“I’m glad she had fun, and I’m glad you’re home. Dinner will be ready in less than a half hour,” Ginny said.

“You should sit down and let me finish the meal. You must be exhausted,” he said, while brushing his hand over her slightly protruding belly. He led Ginny to the sofa and helped her sit down on it. “Where’s Robin? She can help me.”

Ginny pursed her lips. “Oh…well…Robin decided to go back to the school to be with her friends for Christmas,” she said carefully. “I’m surprised you didn’t see her up there.”

Neville’s face fell upon hearing this. “What? She’s not going to be here for Christmas?” he cried. “She can’t do that! This is horrible.”

Ginny bit her lip and patted his arm sympathetically while a blonde girl ran out of the kitchen, and stopped next to him. “Here I am, dad!” she cried while throwing herself into Neville’s arms. “I tricked you, didn’t I?”

Neville breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her. “Yes, you sure did,” he replied. “And if you ever do that again, you’ll love the trick I do I return-it’s called ‘grounding you’. You may be a first year already, but I can still ground you!” He spoke facetiously, though, and smiled while standing up. “All right, let’s go finish the meal so we can eat!” With that, he and Robin walked off to the kitchen.

Ginny remained on the sofa, looking exhausted as she watched her in-laws and children playing.

“They seem well-off,” Snape replied approvingly.

“Well enough, I suppose,” Sirius said. “Although Ginny is very tired. Four kids and another one on the way, and two elderly people with very special needs is a lot to handle every day. She could use some help.”

They watched in silence as Alice sat down next to Ginny and began to brush her hair with a comb she produced from her pocket. Ginny leaned back, closed her eyes, and allowed the older woman to run the comb through her auburn hair. “Then Neville ought to hire somebody to help,” Snape finally said. “He makes enough money to keep his family comfortable, as you can see, but not enough for anything else.” Snape scowled and folded his arms.

“Then he should take his parents back to St. Mungo’s.”

“Families should be together,” Sirius replied. “And Frank and Alice have thrived since coming here. It would be a shame to return them to the isolation of that hospital.”

Snape didn’t respond, but walked to the other side of the porch, to look into the dining room. The family had moved there to eat dinner. A respectable-sized turkey was perched on a tray, surrounded by roasted potatoes and parsnips. The usual Christmas dinner trimmings filled out the rest of the table.

When everybody was seated, Neville began carving the turkey. The meal proceeded happily, with Ginny, Neville, and Robin cutting the turkey into smaller pieces for Frank, Alice, and the children. They laughed, talked, and ate until there was nothing left on the table. Sirius frowned. “No leftovers?” he murmured mournfully. “That’s the best part, too.”

“What do you see happening to them in the future?” Snape asked quietly.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. “Ginny is more exhausted than she realizes. If she’s not careful…she will lose the baby. Neville will be devastated, blaming himself for it. He’ll start spending more and more time at your shop or at the pub to escape those feelings. Ginny will turn to whoever will listen to her, for comfort, which will of course grow into more than comfort, and that will be the end of their marriage. It’s all rather predicable, really.”

“And there’s no way to stop that from happening?” Snape asked, not sure he liked hearing the future of this family.

“Of course there’s a way to stop that from happening. Every time a person takes action in their life, it alters the course of their future, or the future of others,” Sirius replied.

Snape looked at the family and realized that he actually cared about them. Frank and Alice had been his classmates, and Neville and Ginny, his students. None of them had had an easy life, and it was all because of people like him. He owed it to them to help, if he could. He didn’t voice any of this, though. It was none of Black’s business.

Sirius looked at him and tilted his head. “It’s time to go now. We have other people to see still.” Snape gazed into the window one last time before turning to follow Sirius’s ghost.

They walked in silence through Hogsmeade, and up to Hogwarts. It was odd, having only been there the night before, and recalling such bitter and sweet memories. What awaited them this time?

They walked inside, and over to the Great Hall, where a group of students and professors were gathered for a Christmas celebration. If he hadn’t just walked in on his younger self in a similar scenario the day before, Snape would have sworn it was the exact same scene. Children laughed and sang songs while professors talked and drank wassail. Headmistress McGonagall sat back and watched it all with a smile on her face.

Snape looked around and spotted Draco, who was laughing in his seat. He was sitting next to a pretty woman, who seemed to be glued to every word he said. Snape walked over to them, to listen in on their conversation.

“So he still wouldn’t come?” the woman asked.

Draco sighed and shook his head. “Nope. He just won’t allow himself to enjoy life. I wish he would come and see how great it is here. I just want to get to know him better, and I want him to get to know us better. I mean, he’s my godfather, so that means he’ll be your godfather-in-law in just a few months.”

Snape gave a start upon hearing this revelation. Draco was finally getting married? Why hadn’t he ever said anything before?

“We’ll just have to make sure he’s invited to the wedding at least. He’ll show up to that, I’m sure,” the bride-to-be replied.

“I hope you’re right, Annice,” Draco said.

After a while, he stood up and led the children in a game of “Pin the Tail on the Hippogriff.” Annice sat with a smile on her face as she watched her fiancé. Snape gazed at her. She had strawberry blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and appeared to be in her early to mid thirties. Draco would still have plenty of time to have children with her. She looked kind, the sort of woman Draco deserved. This would be a good union. He would make sure to attend their wedding.

Soon, the games had ended, and the dancing began. Draco and Annice shared a few lively ones together before Sirius signaled to Snape that they needed to depart.

Snape frowned as he looked at Sirius. He seemed to have the opposite condition that Albus had. He was growing older; wrinkled and stooped. “Where are we going now?” Snape asked.

“One last stop, for me this time,” Sirius replied. Snape didn’t want to leave, but knew he had no choice. They left the school, and flew away, towards the south.

The sun shone down on them as they traveled. It took them only a short time to arrive at their final destination. Snape noticed a sign that read “Welcome to Godric’s Hollow,” and felt his stomach give a lurch as they walked towards a lone red-brick house at the end of a peaceful cul-de-sac.

Sirius approached the house slowly, Snape following close behind. Together, they watched as a shivering, coatless gray-haired man hurried towards the house. Both Snape and Sirius knew this man, and were silent as he knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a man appeared on the other side. “Remus, I’m so glad you could make it this year,” a black-haired, green-eyed man said as he let Remus walk inside.

“Merry Christmas, Harry,” Remus said. “I’m glad you invited me over. I would hate to spend Christmas alone.”

Snape observed how shabbily clothed Remus was. He’d always been poorly clothed, but it seemed to have gotten even worse since the last time he’d seen him. There were patches sewn on top of patches, and even a hole in one shoe, which couldn’t be comfortable in the snow. “Still as poor as ever,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s pathetic, really, in this day and age, that a man walks around in our world with holes in his shoes.”

Sirius was now wheezing and hunched over. “Yes, he really should have put himself in Azkaban or St. Mungo’s to get himself out of sight,” he struggled to say. “Or better yet, he should just end his life and rid you of having to witness his misery.”

Snape opened his mouth to respond, but found he had no words to say. Just two days ago, he’d said that very thing, and had truly believed it. Now, looking at Remus’s plight, he couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Their past was so long ago; it was an odd realization that he saw he no longer hated the man.

“My time is coming to an end here, Snape,” Sirius said, turning to him. He was now ancient, his hair white and thinned. “I can no longer help Harry, or Remus, but you can. You can care about them. It isn’t much to ask. Not anymore, at least.”

“What am I to do?” Snape asked.

“So many…so many people in need,” Sirius gasped as he clutched his chest and fell to the ground.

Snape knelt down to take his pulse. There was none, whether because he was a ghost, or because he had come to the end of his use on this journey, Snape could not say. As he touched Sirius’s wrist, the world around him faded to black, and suddenly, he was back in his bedroom at Spinner’s End.

There was too much to think about, and too much he’d seen, for Snape to take it all in at once. As had happened the night before, he was suddenly overcome with weariness, and promptly fell asleep as soon as he’d gotten into bed.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final ghost pays Snape a visit.

Snape was awoken the next morning by a hand patting him on the shoulder. He opened his eyes, and gasped in utter shock. Lily Evans stood before him. She was young, looking as she had in their last year of Hogwarts, except that she wore a long white flowing robe that made it look as though she was floating. She never spoke, but gestured for him to get up.

“Lily…” he croaked as he got out of bed. “I…” There was nothing he could say to her. He felt as though somebody had torn his heart out and thrown it on the floor. What cruelty to send her, of all people, for this. “Are you here to show me the future?” he whispered.

Lily nodded her head, and held out her hand. Snape took it, and followed her to the door, and out onto the porch. They pushed off, and flew north. He felt no warmth coming from her hand. He wished he could have felt how warm her hands used to be. Looking over at her, he could almost imagine that he was seventeen again too.

After what felt like far too short a time flying together, they landed at Hogwarts. Once inside the school, they saw Draco, now old and gray, walking up the stairs from the dungeon. He looked sad as he rifled through a few sheets of parchment. A woman met him at the top of the stairs. She smiled sadly and wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked into the Great Hall.

“Did you get all of his affairs in order?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, I worked with the solicitor to figure out his will. He left everything to the grandkids apparently,” Draco said.

“That’s good. They won’t have to worry about anything, then,” she replied.

“I know, Annice, I just wish he’d been in their lives more. Some of the grandchildren never even met him, and now it’s too late,” Draco said sadly. “Money means nothing if you don’t share your time with people.”

“You’ll just have to make sure you tell them about him. He never realized it, but he was a very special person in this world. We’re all worse off for having him gone.”

“I’ve been trying to decide what to say at his funeral. I mean, the man saved my life. He was there for me when my father wasn’t. He was a better father to me than Lucius ever tried to be.”

Snape listened to this, not wanting to be correct in his assumption. Draco was talking about him. But he couldn’t be…no, that wasn’t right. He wasn’t, was he? He turned and looked at Lily with wide eyes. She looked mournful, and nodded her head slowly. His heart pounded and he felt something he had rarely felt in his life: panic.

“No…” he uttered desperately, shaking his head. “No, you’re wrong.” He turned and hurried out the door, running towards town.

Snape was breathless when he arrived at his apothecary shop. It was boarded up, as though it hadn’t been opened in some time. He pounded on the door and windows, and called out for Neville, but nobody answered.

After a few minutes, he stopped and looked at Lily, who had followed him silently. “What do you want from me?” he asked hollowly.

Lily beckoned for him to follow her. Hanging his head in despair, he followed. He had never felt worse in his entire life. He’d spent a lifetime trying to avoid death, and had now come face to face with the inevitable.

They continued on until they’d reached the Hog’s Head, where a large group of people were enjoying a Christmas drink. Snape finally found Neville, who was sitting across from Harry Potter. They were talking quietly and drinking ale. He walked over and listened to them as they talked.

“So what are you going to do now, Neville? The shop’s closed and he didn’t leave you anything,” Harry said.

Neville looked crestfallen. “I don’t know yet,” he replied. “I’ll probably look into any openings at the Ministry. I mean, I don’t need much for myself, but I do need something for money.”

“He should have left the shop to you. You worked for so long there, you deserve it.”

Neville shrugged his shoulders. “He just didn’t think about it, and then he got so sick he couldn’t think of things like that,” he replied.

“You’re too kind, Nev,” Harry said with a shake of his head.

“Somebody needed to be kind to him.”

Harry sipped his ale thoughtfully for a minute. “Well, the man is gone, and it is Christmas, and I know how much he did for this world during the war, so I’ll drink a toast to him.”

At that moment, Ron Weasley joined them. “Toast to who?” he asked with a grin.

“To Snape,” Harry replied.

Ron’s eyebrows rose at that. “We’re drinking a _toast_ to him?” he asked incredulously.

“He did so much for us,” Neville said. “I mean, after Ginny and I divorced, he started giving me Saturdays off to spend more time with the children. It also gave me the time to go visit my parents each weekend after I had to have them put in St. Mungo’s again. I know they hated having to leave the kids, but I couldn’t take care of them on my own after the divorce. They liked having me spend more time with them each week.”

“That was generous of him,” Ron said. “I would never have thought him capable of such a thing.”

Neville shrugged. “Every once in a while he’d surprise you. Not nearly enough, but now and again he’d actually let on that he was human.”

“Now that I can’t believe,” Ron chuckled. “Snape human?”

Harry looked thoughtful. “Well now, I don’t know, I mean, look at all he did during the war. He really did sacrifice a lot for us to win. That has to say something about him as a person. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as we always thought,” he said slowly.

Even Ron had to give this careful consideration. “Maybe you’re right,” he finally conceded. Snape was shocked that Weasley could ever admit he might indeed be human. It was really an odd feeling hearing all of them speaking so about him. He wasn’t used to people being kind or saying nice things about him.

By now, other people had overheard their conversation, and joined in their thoughts. “He was a mean old bugger, but he helped us all,” one man said.

“Here, here,” a woman concurred while banging her glass on the table. “This world owes a lot to Severus Snape.”

Neville raised his glass. “To Snape,” he called out.

Everybody else raised their glasses. “To Snape,” they replied in unison.

Snape was taken aback at this. A toast? To him? Did they really mean it or was it merely lip service paid to the dead? Could they truly feel that way? It was a strange sensation for him at the thought that maybe they were sincere.

The conversation returned to Snape when the toast ended. People seemed sincere enough when the spoke to one another. Neville, Weasley, and Potter were actually reminiscing about their school days and potions classes in the dungeons.

Snape always found it fascinating how people looking back on their lives tended to turn bad memories into good ones. In his time, he’d never managed to do that. Almost all of his memories in life were unpleasant in some way. Although, over the last couple days, he had recalled at least a few happier memories. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever have more happy memories to add to those.

After some time, the conversation turned back to Christmas or the normal goings-on of Hogsmeade. It seemed that his fifteen minutes of fame were now over. With a last glance around, he walked out of the Hog’s Head, and back out into the snow-covered street.

Snape felt listless, and unsure of what to do next. Lily looked at him curiously as he looked up and down the street. He knew what he needed to do. “Lily…where…” he began before taking a deep breath. “Where am I?” he asked quietly.

Lily bit her lip and looked at the ground.

“Please, Lily, I must know,” Snape replied.

She looked at him sadly before nodding and beckoned him to follow her. They walked through the snow, not leaving any footprints behind them, to the edge of town. Once beyond the Hogsmeade village limits, they came upon a small blue house with a sign that read: _Fezziwig and Sons Funeral Parlour_.

Snape stood before the house for a few minutes, mustering up the courage to walk into it. When he was ready, he and Lily walked up the stairs, and he followed behind her as she walked through the walls to the other side.

Drab chalky-coloured wallpaper covered the walls of the front room, and there were dark gray velvet curtains covering the windows, blocking out any light. They carefully walked through the room and down a long hallway. The door of the last room to the left creaked open slightly as they approached.

Lily moved into the room, leaving Snape alone outside. His heart pounded as he debated whether or not to go inside. He’d come this far, he might as well go all the way. He closed his eyes and counted to five slowly before reopening his eyes and walking into the room.

In the centre of the room was a dark evergreen casket with silver handles. There was little else in the cold, dreary room, except for a mirror on the far end. Snape slowly walked around the casket, running a fingertip along the seam. It would be far too macabre to open up the casket and look at himself. There was no need to; he knew in his heart that he was in there.

As he walked to the side of the room with the mirror on the wall, he felt a chill pass through him. The temperature of the entire house seemed to plummet suddenly, until he could see his breath as he stood before the casket.

Snape rubbed his hands together, and glanced in the mirror. He saw himself standing there, moving not a muscle. His eyes widened, and he stopped his motions, and watched his reflection walk out of the mirror frame and disappear. As he whirled around, he saw the image of himself walking towards where he was standing.

How could that be? What was happening? He was dead in this time, wasn’t he? Before he had a chance to utter a word, the other Snape grabbed him with freezing cold hands.

“Look at what you’ve done to me!” he cried.

“Wh-what?” Snape croaked while trying to pull away from him.

“I can’t move on because of you!” the other Snape growled. “You had every chance, _every_ chance, and you squandered it! And now look at me! I’m trapped here, in this room, with this box, and I can’t go anywhere else!”

“Wh-who?” Snape stuttered, growing pale and feeling light-headed.

“Who am I? I’m you! I’m your spirit. I fled your body when you passed, but I am still bound to you. I haven’t been able to ascend yet, and it’s your fault!” Snape’s spirit screamed at him.

Snape gaped at him, unable to speak.

“Don’t you feel how hollow you are inside right now? You’re freezing, aren’t you? That’s because I’m here,” his spirit said, pointing to himself. “If I were still in you, you’d feel normal, but I can’t be there, because you’re no longer living in this time. And I can’t go back. But _you_ still can! You can still change the past, and when you come to this time again, for real, I’ll be able to move on. It’s our only chance!”

Snape couldn’t understand what was happening. He was dead, but still alive, and speaking with his own disembodied soul. A soul who was apparently quite resentful of the life he’d lived. He turned to look at the casket, and then back again at his spirit, and felt as though somebody had hit him over the head with a brick.

“I can go back still,” he murmured. “I can start over again. I can do this, I know I can.” He turned and looked at his spirit, which had floated over to Lily. “I understand now,” he continued in a louder voice, feeling excitement welling up inside him. “I know now why you did this for me. Give me another chance! I know I can do better. I can be a better person.”

Snape’s spirit floated over to him. “Can you guarantee that? Can you promise to do better? To care more?” it asked him.

Snape nodded his head. “Yes, I can promise that I will be a better person from this point on in my life. I see now that it is futile to be otherwise. It doesn’t buy a man any more time, and only makes what little time he has, miserable,” he replied, feeling more confident as he spoke. “I don’t want to be miserable anymore.”

Lily smiled and bowed her head for a moment upon hearing this. She walked over to Snape, and leaned up to peck him on the cheek. With that, she waved and began to shimmer. She seemed to dissolve before Snape’s eyes, but instead of being sad to lose her once more, he was happy, for he knew he’d see her again one day.

With a deep breath, he turned to his soul. “I am ready to go back now,” he said. “I won’t let you down.” Snape’s soul nodded his head, and floated quickly towards him. When he made contact with Snape, the world around him seemed to dissolve as Lily had, and all was peaceful and bright.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape decides what to do with his life.

Snape woke up the next morning in his own bed. The sky was bright, and a gull cried mournfully from somewhere outside. He sat up in bed, and looked at the clock. Ten o’clock, how had he managed to sleep in so late? And what day was it? It was at least three days since all of this had started, but how long had he been asleep?

The aches and pains that normally accompanied Snape when he got out of bed in the morning seemed to be absent today. Or perhaps they really were still there, but because he was focusing on more important things, he didn’t notice them. Whichever it was, it helped in putting him in a rather happy mood, something he couldn’t remember since he’d been a student at Hogwarts.

They let me come back, he thought to himself with a smile. His hands flew to his face as he felt the smile grow. Was he really smiling? Was this really him? But it was him; he knew it. He had meant it when he’d promised to be a better person. He could feel himself growing warm inside, as though he was thawing out from years and years of freezing disuse.

As he walked up and down the floor of his room, his smile continued to grow. He felt younger, for some reason, though when he glanced in his mirror, there was nothing different about his physical appearance, except for the look of happiness, which in its own way, did make him look younger.

When he passed his window, he noticed somebody walking by the house. He hurried to open the window, and leaned out, waving to the person. “Oi, you there!” he called down.

A young girl looked up at him. She had striking blue eyes, and red hair. “Yes sir?” she called in return.

“What day is it?” he asked.

“What do you mean, sir? It’s Christmas,” the girl said.

“It’s Christmas? Are you sure?” Snape asked, excited.

“Of course I’m sure, Father Christmas left presents in my stocking and I opened them this morning, see?” she said while fishing a crimson ribbon out of her pocket and waving it around.

“That’s a lovely ribbon,” Snape replied while leaning over to his nightstand, and grabbing a sickle that was lying around. He tossed it down to the girl. “Here you go, child, buy yourself a whole box of ribbons!” He was struck at her enthusiasm over something as simple as a hair ribbon. He couldn’t help but be reminded of Lily’s enthusiasm for all the little things in life.

The girl caught the coin and her eyes shone with happiness. “Oh, sir! Thank you! Happy Christmas!” she cried before running off to her home.

Snape chuckled at her reaction without even realizing it. Those spirits! What luck! They’d all visited him in one night, and now he had Christmas to begin anew. What a wonderful gift-it was perhaps, the greatest present he’d ever received or would receive in his entire life.

He began to formulate his plan as he dressed for the day. He had to get help for Neville and Ginny. He would join Draco at the school for Christmas dinner. And it was time he moved beyond his unhappy experiences at Hogwarts, and help Lupin, and others like him.

When he was ready to leave the house, he grabbed his wand, and apparated to Hogsmeade. There was still a shop open, and Snape purchased several armloads of gifts for the children, as well as food for the dinner. “I’ll need a much bigger turkey, for the leftovers, you know,” he said to the clerk while looking at the selection that was left. When he’d gotten all he wanted, he paid for it, and looked at it for a moment. I can’t take it there myself, he thought to himself. “I’ll pay you an extra five galleons to deliver this to Mr. Neville Longbottom,” he offered to the clerk.

The clerk jumped up, grabbed the money out of Snape’s hand, and used his wand to lift all the goods and carry them out the door.

“And don’t tell them who it’s from!” Snape called out after him. He chuckled again while leaving the store. What would Neville think when a huge pile of food and toys arrived at his house? He wouldn’t know what to make of it!

He walked to the apothecary shop after that, and found a quill and sheet of parchment. Within minutes, he had a letter ready to owl to the Ministry of Magic. He’d written a proposal in which he would provide the werewolf community of Britain with Wolfsbane potion free of charge in perpetuity. He took another sheet of parchment, and wrote to the charity he’d refused to donate to the day before, and pledged to them a donation of five hundred galleons, and sent the promise off with an apology for his appalling behaviour of the previous day. He summoned a couple of his owls from the small shed in the back of the shop’s property, and sent them off with the letters.

The clerk of the general shop had returned by the time Snape walked past it again. He had one last purchase to make. “I just need one more thing from you,” he said with a smile. “A pair of shoes. Sturdy, black I think, my size,” he instructed the man.

When they’d found the right ones, the clerk boxed them up, and Snape paid for them. It took three owls to lift the box off the counter and fly it off to Godric’s Hollow. With a nod of his head, Snape felt satisfied, and left the shop. He debated for a while over whether to go spy on the Longbottoms, or not, but decided in the end to let the family enjoy their day alone. He'd have some fun with Neville tomorrow. For now, he was going to join Draco at Hogwarts for Christmas dinner.

The walk to the school was quite peaceful. There was no one on the road, and he was able to concentrate on the clear, fresh air coursing through his lungs, and looking at the bright white snow as the sun shone down upon it. A few gulls soared overhead, calling out their presence to the world around them.

The school seemed a happier place now. It actually seemed brighter somehow. There were festive garlands hanging above the door, welcoming visitors. Snape opened the door and walked inside. He could hear singing as soon as he turned towards the Great Hall. Students were singing "Jingle Bells" and popping Christmas crackers.

He slowly walked into the room, and looked around. Everybody was happy, the children's faces were red from singing and merry-making, and the adult's faces were red from the drinking of wassail. He smiled while looking around for Draco, and seeing him sitting next to Annice. They were talking quietly and leaning their heads together, as though waiting for an opportunity to kiss. Snape waited for them to share a small kiss before approaching them.

"Draco...hello..." he said timidly. "I thought I would come to dinner today."

Draco looked shocked to see his godfather standing before him. "Severus, I can't believe you came!" he said while standing up and shaking Snape's hand. "You have no idea how happy this makes me."

Snape smiled and nodded his head. "I'm rather...happy as well," he replied before turning to Annice. "And who is this?"

Draco smiled. "Severus, this is Annice...my fiancé. Annice, this is my godfather, Severus Snape," he said, pointing to each one in turn.

Snape grinned and nodded his head. "Annice, it is wonderful to finally meet you," he said before kissing her hand. "And Draco, when were planning on telling me about your upcoming marriage?"

"Tomorrow, but now I don't have to," Draco said slyly. "So, why don't you sit down and eat?"

Snape quickly sat down and grabbed a plate. "I don't mind if I do. I feel like I haven't eaten in days," he replied. He piled his plate high with goose and gravy, roasted potatoes, and boiled peas. "I might even have seconds."

"That's rather unlike you," Draco remarked.

"I woke up this morning feeling quite unlike myself," Snape admitted. "I suppose it's fitting that my actions would follow suit." He took a large bite of potatoes, and savoured it. It was the first time he could recall enjoying the flavour of food in quite some time. He felt as though the world and all its experiences were opening up to him, and he couldn't wait to reacquaint himself with it.

After he'd eaten as much food as he could possibly hold, Snape stood up and walked over to Minerva McGonagall. "Would you care to dance?" he asked while holding his hand out to her. Minerva looked astonished to see him in front of her, and asking for a dance, but she wasn't too amazed to accept his hand. Together, they walked onto the floor and began to dance a waltz.

The day flew past quickly, and before he knew it, Snape was leaving Hogwarts with an armful of trinkets and hats he'd gotten from Christmas crackers and students. After leaving the school grounds, he apparated back to Spinners End.

He laid the pink and lime green sombrero and miniature harp on his kitchen table, and walked through his house carefully, searching for any signs of spirits. Upon completion of his search and feeling confident that there was nothing lurking in the darkened corners, he retired to bed. In spite of his late start, it had been a very eventful day, and he was quite tired. It didn't take him too long to fall asleep that night.

The next morning, Snape woke early, feeling refreshed and ready for the day to come. He looked forward to seeing Neville again. After a well-balanced breakfast of orange slices and oat bran, he left for work. The shop was freezing when he arrived, and he fixed that by building a large fire in the fireplace. If the ingredients spoiled more quickly because of it, then he'd just buy new ones.

Neville arrived several minutes late, and quickly got to work, keeping his head down low, hoping not to catch Snape's eye. Snape cleared his throat before he spoke to him. He was really going to enjoy this.

"I suppose you assume I didn't notice you waltzing in here as late as you please," he growled at Neville.

"Sir...I'm sorry for being late. I promise I'll stay late today to make up for it," Neville stammered. "Yesterday was a rather merry day, being Christmas and all."

"I do not care for your pathetic excuses, Mr. Longbottom," Snape snarled. "If you cannot be here at the appointed time each morning..." He paused here, letting Neville squirm uncomfortably. "Then I have no other choice...but to shorten your hours by an hour each day. You'll start coming in at nine each morning instead of eight."

Neville's eyes widened. "But sir, I need that money," he cried. "It was just one day, I promise it will never happen again."

Snape folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "I pay you generously, Mr. Longbottom, you should be more grateful. But since I am cutting your hours, I suppose I have no choice but to make up for it by giving you a raise," he said quietly.

"Oh but sir you can't, I-" Neville began before stopping himself. "Wait...did you say…a raise?"

"Yes, Neville, a raise," Snape returned. "This way you can work less hours, and can afford to hire somebody to help out with the housework. I wouldn't be surprised if your wife was working too hard."

Neville looked confused over this. "I don't understand," he murmured.

"I see I have to explain everything to you," Snape sighed. "I am cutting your hours, giving you a raise, and I am making you a full partner in this shop."

Neville's jaw dropped open, and his eyes grew wide. "A partner? Me?" he squeaked.

"Yes, Neville, you," Snape said. "You have put up with me for years now, and it's time you receive what you truly deserve." He smiled sadly at the younger man. "I have been a horrible person to be around for most of my life. I want a chance to change, and believe that now is the right time for me to do so. And so, I am going to make you my partner. I hope you will accept this."

Neville was silent while he took all of this in. A partner! What a wonderful step up in life! Ginny would be so happy. He'd be able to hire a housekeeper to help her so she could rest more. She was so tired lately, and his parents were a lot to handle, and having help would be good.

"Thank you, sir," he said after a minute. "You have no idea how wonderful this is."

"Don't I?" Snape replied. "Oh, and I will be going home with you tonight for dinner."

"Um...all right," Neville said in a bewildered tone. "I'll let Ginny know when I see her at lunch today. I think we're having leftovers."

Snape smiled and nodded his head. "That sounds wonderful," he said approvingly.

That night, Snape went to Neville's house as a guest for the very first time, though it wouldn't be the last. He ended up sitting in between Frank and Alice. He helped cut up their turkey, and Frank shared slices of his mandarin orange with him. Frank smiled at him. "Happy day," he said slowly while reaching out to pat Snape’s hand.

"Yes, happy day," Snape replied softly.

Snape invited himself to dinner rather often after that. He found he enjoyed spending time with the Longbottom family, and began to insinuate himself more and more into their group. In Frank and Alice, he found forgiveness, and the wonder of all the little things in life. In the children he found openness, and the wonder of all the grand things in life. In Neville and Ginny, he found love, and a chance to make things right. He loved the Longbottom family, and allowed them to love him in return.

The lessons Snape learned that Christmas he made sure to take with him into the rest of the year, and on into the rest of his life. It had indeed been the greatest gift he had ever received.


End file.
